I'm desperate people, please help.
I would really like to find an iPhone 13 Pro leather case that has the bottom lip cutout like the pre-iPhone 12 Apple cases that's also compatible with MagSafe.
For the 12 Pro I used a case from
decoded which had the bottom lip cutout but has frustrated me with it's lack of MagSafe support. It looks like they revised the case at some point after the launch window to include MagSafe but they also got rid of the bottom lip cutout, and they're continuing with this approach for the 13.
I've tried to get used to the bottom lip cutout on my SO's iPhone 12 and for some reason I just can't get over how much better the bottom cut out feels.
This is the situation that I found myself in as well. I used to get the Apple leather case when it had the cutout and last year went with the BlackBrook case - it was a nice quality leather that did add a little bit of bulk but developed a nice patina. I actually also liked that there was a cutout on both sides of the phone case as well, by the volume/mute buttons and the power button. It’s a polarizing feature of the case, for sure, but I liked seeing the steel band of the phone and not having to squeeze my fingers through small cutouts to manipulate those buttons. Sadly, they redesigned the case mid-cycle last year and dropped all cutouts, and it looks to be staying the same this year, based on the renders of cases for the iPhone 13 series.
I love having a cutout on the case, especially along the bottom, because it makes the swipe gesture (that is such a big and commonly used feature) easier to perform - yes, it’s definitely a preference, and not having a cutout isn’t a large obstacle for the swipe feature. I simply like the option of the cutout and continue to search for good cases with it.
A lot of people seem to be wary of cutouts because it is technically not protecting some of the phone - the cutout, though, is good enough for me, knowing that the lip of the phone is designed in a way that if a phone were to be dropped on one of its sides, front, or back, it’s still protected. The phone has to drop/hit something, at a specific angle, in a specific way, to make contact - with my AppleCare+, I’m willing to take that small amount of risk from having a cutout.
There don’t appear to be a ton of options for leather cases with cutouts these days. Add in MagSafe compatibility and it’s even harder to find something. A lot of companies seem to follow Apple’s lead on design, and Apple getting rid of their cutout has only made it harder to find options from other companies. Sena is one option, but they don’t appear to be compatible with MagSafe so they’re out (the site says it’ll work with wireless charging, but no info about MagSafe comparability anywhere). Their design is reminiscent of the Apple leather case design (cutout at the bottom, with metal buttons on the sides).
This year, as the commenters above noted, Bullstrap looks like the best option at this time. They seem to have a mostly great reputation. That is what I ordered a few days ago, but it is a long expected wait time before delivery, which has led me to get a cheap clear case online to protect the phone while I wait for the Bullstrap one. Can’t wait to use it! I went with the Sienna color.
